Step 1

Combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, rice, cumin, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

Step 2

Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium heat in a large kettle.

Step 3

Form the beef mixture into 1 inch meatballs, using about 1 1/2 tablespoons of meat for each. Turn the heat down under the chicken broth to a simmer and drop the meatballs into the broth. Simmer the meatballs in the broth for 20 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.

Step 4

Stir in the carrots, onion, celery, canned diced tomatoes with green chiles, tomato sauce, canned chiles, cilantro, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Simmer the soup for 1 hour to cook the vegetables and blend the flavors.